The man whose body was found dumped south of the Border in Co Louth on Monday has been named as Mr Thomas David Lockard (34), who lived in Malone Road, Belfast.
A post-mortem established yesterday that he had two stab wounds to the chest and a blow to the back of the head. He is believed to have been killed by members of a major drugs gang with republican paramilitary connections in the Border area. The cross-Border gang has links with criminals in the Netherlands and to Provisional IRA figures.
It is understood the gang suspected the man of giving information to the Garda National Drug Bureau, which led to a number of significant seizures of amphetamines and cocaine in the Meath-Kildare area in recent months.
He was kidnapped and is believed to have been tortured before being killed and dumped about 200 metres from the Border. The body was partially clothed and wrapped in grey plastic. Gardai believe he was killed 24 to 36 hours earlier.